Evaporator

April 13, 1937.
2,076,770
A. Y. DOWELL
EVAPORATOR
Filed Aug. 18, 1933
4
if?
INVENTOR.
Patented Apr. is, 1%?
2,076,770 ‘
p-mrsp srarss PATENT oFncE
EVAPORATOR
Alvis ‘Yates Dowel], Hastings .on Hudson, N. Y.,
assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a cor- '
poration of Delaware
Application August 18,1933, Serial No. 685,690
11 Claims. (Cl. 62-426)
This invention ‘relates to cooling elements or
duces a refrigerating effect.
The vapor is ex
hausted from the header l3 through a conduit or
In many refrigerators,- especially-those of the suction line H adapted to be connected to- the low
household type, a single cooling element is pro ' side of the refrigeration apparatus, not shown.
The body of the evaporator is formed as an in) vided for the dual purpose of cooling the air in
evaporators for refrigeration apparatus.
_
the refrigerator storage compartment and freez
ing water into ice cubes. The water or other sub
stance to be frozen is usually contained in a re
ceptacle adapted to be supported in thermal
10 transfer relation with the cooling element or
evaporator which latter-is operated at a below
freezing temperature. For the best efficiency of
heat transfer from the. water or other substance
to befrozen to the evaporator, there is required
15 a very short path of high thermal conductivity.
A plate or shelf type of evaporator best meets this
requirement. 0n the other hand, there is re
quired a much greater thermal transfer surface
for e?icient cooling of the air in the storage com
20 partment. Also, since the air should not be re
duced to freezing temperature, the thermal path
. from the air to the evaporator may be longer and
of less thermal conductivity.
It is an object of this invention to provide an
25 evaporator meeting the above requirements which
is efficient in operation, simple, inexpensive, and
5
tegral metal casting. Aluminum is preferred on
account of itsv high thermal conductivity. The
casting is formed with a plurality of vertically
spaced horizontal plate or shelf portions l5 em
bedding the respective groups of pipe loops I0.
At one ‘side of the shelves [0 a plurality of ver
tical ribs'or ?ns iii are formed integrally there
with. The size and the number of these ?ns de
pend of course upon the amount of air to be cooled
and the desired temperature. The upper ends 15
of the ?ns l6 form a cradle in which rests the
header 13. The connecting portionsl'l ‘of the
pipe coil between the horizontal l‘oops H] are pref
erably arranged so as to lie in the vertical ?nned
wall l?'of. the evaporator.
‘
20
The evaporator is preferably mounted in the
storage compartment of a refrigerator in the po
sition illustrated in Fig. 4. The Vertical ?nned
section 16 is located at one side in the top of the
compartment l8 and is therefore in the most ad
vantageous position for adequately cooling the
air. The warm air rises to the top compartment
l8 and circulation is induced'by the descent of
It is a further object of the invention to provide
an evaporator that is very accessible for insertion - air cooled by the evaporator. Since most of the
and removal of freezing) receptacles and for air is cooled by the ?nned ‘section iii, the down
ward ?ow of cool air takes place adjacent a side
cleansing.
'
’
Other objects and advantages of the invention of the compartment where there is the least like
' will be apparent from the following description lihood of obstruction due to shelf loading. The
plates or shelves I extend laterallyfrom the ?n
taken in connection with the accompanying draw
section. and form refrigerated supports for ice 35
ing in which‘:
trays H9 or other receptacles’ for substances to be
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an evaporator illus
durable in construction.
'
'
' trating one-embodiment of the invention;
frozen.
Fig. 2, a sectionv taken on line 2.—2 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3, a section taken on line 3—3 of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 4, an end view ‘of the evaporator of Fig.
430
1 shown mounted in the storage compartment of
a refrigerator.
1
.
‘I
Referring to the drawing, the evaporator com
' prises essentially a'vpipe coil, a header, and a.cast
4.55 metal body. The pipe coil is formed with a plu
rality of vertically spaced groups of horizontal
loops iii. The lower end ii of the pipe coil‘is'
adapted to be connected to receive liquid refrig
erant from a suitable refrigeration apparatus or
supply, not shown. The upper end iii of the coil
is connected to a header or, disengaging vessel .83. .
‘
-
_
>
‘
It will be apparent to ‘those skilled in the art -
that various other changes may be made in the
construction and arrangement without departing
from the spirit ‘of the'invention,v and therefore
the invention is-notlimited to that which is de
scribed in the. speci?cation and shown in the
drawing, but only as indicated in the following
claims:
'
_
‘
\
What is claimed is:
'
i
45
'
1. An evaporator comprising a pipe coil hav
ing ,a plurality of vertically spaced groups of hori
zontal loops and a metal casting forming a plu
rality of vertically spaced horizontal shelves re
spectively embedding said groups of‘pipe coil loops
The latter is preferably cylindrical and is'formed and a, plurality of upright ?ns integral with and
by a tubular casing closed at both ends. As well interconnecting said‘ shelves on only, one‘ side,
known in the art, liquid refrigerant, admitted at ,
thereof.
the'iower end H of the coil, evaporates and‘pro
7.
,
‘
-
.
2.‘ An evaporator comprising an integral metal
55
2,076,770
2 .
casting forming an upright structure of heat
transfer fins and a, plurality of’ vertically spaced
shelves extending horizontally therefrom, a pipe
coil having a, plurality of vertically spaced groups.
plates to provide extended heat transfer surface
and a shelf at one side and extending from said
structure, said shelf containing‘ a coil embedded
therein.
,
'
up
.
9. An evaporator designed to cool a chamber
of horizontal loops embedded respectively in said
shelves, and a header connected to the upper end v in which the same is adapted ‘to be placed and also
of said pipe coil and supported on the upper edge designed to cool matter contained in said cham
ber, said evaporator being formed of plate means
of said upright structure.
forming extended heat transfer surface, said
. 3. An evaporator comprising an .integral metal
10 casting forming an upright structure of parallel
heat‘. transfer ?ns ' and a plurality of vertically
plate means being arranged in one position to
spaced shelves extending horizontally therefrom,
plate means arranged integrally with andon one
side transversely of the ?rst plate meansv and
a pipe coil having a plurality of vertically spaced
groups of horizontal loops embedded respective
15 ly in said shelves, and a tubular header connected
to the upper end of said coil, the upper edge of
said upright structure forming a cradle in which
said header is supported.
.
4. An evaporator comprising a shelf having a
20 passage for refrigerant ?uid, heat transfer ?ns
forming an upright structure on one side of said
shelf, a header supported on the upper edge of
and in the plane of said upright structure, and a
conduit connecting said passage to said header.
5. An evaporator comprising a shelf having a
passage for circulation of refrigerant fluid and
a plurality of ?ns forming an _\upright structure of
the evaporator on one side of‘said shelf, and sup
ply and discharge conduits for said passage dis
30 posed in the upright structure formed by said ?ns.
support matter placed in thelchamber, and other
leaving the remainder of the ?rst plate means un
obstructed to provide increased heat transfer sur
face having su?lcient area to adequately cool said
chamber, the arrangement‘ of said ?rst plate
means providing substantially unobstructed pas
sage for air across and in contact with said sec
‘ond plate means.
10. An evaporator designed to cool a chamber
in which the same is adapted to be placed and
also designed to cool matter contained insaid
chamber, said evaporator being formed of plate
means forming extended heat transfer surface, 25
said plate means being arranged in one position -
to support matten'placed in the chamber, and
other plate means arranged integrally with‘and'
on one'side transversely of the ?rst plate means
and leaving the remainder of the first plate means
30v
, 6. An evaporator comprising an integral metal
unobstructed to provide increased heat transfer
casting, forming an’upright structure of parallel
surface having su?icient area to adequately cool‘ \
heat transfer ?ns and a plurality of vertically
spaced shelves extending horizontally therefrom
35 and having passages for the circulation of refrig
erant ?uid, and supply and discharge conduits for
said passage disposed in the upright structure
formed- by said ?ns.
,
' _
17. An evaporator comprising an integral metal
40 casting forming an upright structure of ?nned
said chamber, the arrangement of said first plate
means providing substantially unobstructed pas- _
sage forv air across and in contact with said sec- _ 35
0nd plate means, the parts being assembled in
a manner to permit access-to be had to the sup
porting means from a position other than the
front of the evaporator.
-
.
.
_
11. An evaporator formed as an integral metal 40
construction with one or more shelves extending
casting having a, series of upright ?n plates and
laterally ‘therefrom and having passages inter
one or more shelf plates extending transversely '
connected for circulation of refrigerant fluid
therethrouglr in series, and a header at the top of
‘5 said upright structure connected to one end of
said series passages, the interconnections for said
of said ?n plates and having refrigerant passages
therein, there being open communication for air
circulation between said ?n plates to said shelf
plates, and inlet and discharge conduits for said
passages being disposed in said upright structure.
refrigerant passages disposed between said up
I 8. An evaporator of cast metal construction
right ?n plates.
comprising a single upright structure formed of
‘
‘
’
ALVIS'YA'I'ES DOWELL.